Adjustable bracket for gas-meters



T. R. BRUCE.

ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR GAS METERS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.2|. x921.

* Patented July 5, 1921.

reactor. 1

Parent creme.

THOMAS 1a. Barron, or NEVJ HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FGR GAS-METERS.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

lipplication filed March 21, 1921, Serial No. 453,878.

To all whom itma' concern:

Be it known that I, TrroMAs It. BRUCE, a citizen of the "United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Brackets for Gas-Meters; and Ido hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which sa1 d drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in

Figure 1 a view in front elevation of my improved adjustable gas-meter bracket with a gas-meter installed upon it as 111 use.

Fig. 2 aperspective view on a larger scale of the bracket.

Fig. 3 a detached perspective view of the mounting-strip of the bracket.

Fig. 1 a similar view of the corrugated sheetmetal bracket-plate.

Fig. 5 a similar view of the removable, adj ustable bracket-wire.

My invention relates to an improved adjustable bracket for use in the installation of gasmeters, the object being to provide a simple, cheap, convenient and strong bracket constructed with particular reference to pro- Q vision for vertical adjustment, so that without shimming or blocking upthe meter, the same may be properly supported with respect to the inlet and outlet gas-pipes, wlthout straining the metenconnections.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in an adjustable gas-meter bracket having a mounting-strip, a transversely cor rugated sheet-metal bracket-plate applied thereto, and a one-piece bracketwire bent to form two horizontal shelf-bars and two inclined brace-bars, the former having their free inner ends turned inwardly for insertion into the open-ended sockets formed by the upper corrugations of the bracket-plate, and the latter having their lower ends united by a crossbar, which is set between the forwardly-opening seats formed by the lower corrugations of the plate.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, I employ a mounting-strip 6, consisting of a suitable board having its upper and lower ends formed with holes 7, where by it is nailed or otherwise secured in place in a vertical position. To the face of this strip I fasten in the vertical position, by ualls 8, a sheet-metal bracket-plate 9, the upper end of which is transversely corrugated to form a series of sockets 10, located one above the other and open laterally at their ends, and the lower end of which is transversely corrugated to form a vertical series of bearing-seats 11 opening forwardly and by preference downwardly inclined. This mounting-plate provides for the support of a removable, vertically adjustable bracket-wire, consisting of a'single piece of wire bent to form two parallel horizontal shelf-bars 12 and two parallel inclined brace-bars 18, the former having their free inner ends turned inward toward each other to form supporting-fingers 14, while the latter have their lower ends united by a transverse-reach 15. By springing the shelfbars 12 apart, their supporting-fingers lt may be inserted into the opposite ends of any one of the sockets 10, while the crossbar 15, uniting the brace-bars 13, will be inserted into the particular downwardly-inclined seat 11, which will level up the shelfbars, it being a simple matter to apply and remove the bracket-wire according to the height of the gas-meter 16 and the position of the inlet and outlet gas-pipes 17 and 18. Thus, instead of shimming or wedging or blocking up the meter, which is the present practice, the bracket-wire is adjusted up or down, as may be required, to support the meter at just the right point, whereas, if the meter is shimmed or blocked up its connect-ions are apt to be started or at least weakened.

My improved bracket is not only simple, cheap and strong, but also so convenient as to save much time and labor in the installation of gas-meters. While I have shown and described my improved adjustable bracket with particular reference to the use and installation of gas-meters, it is not so limited. but may be used in all other situations where its particular advantages may be available. Of course, the bracket-plate might be made in two pieces, as well as in one.

I claim:

1. An adjustable bracket having a mounting-strip, a vertical series of transverse sockets applied thereto and open at their opposite ends, a vertical series of transverse bearing-seats applied to the said plate below the said sockets and opening forwardly,

, and a bracket-wire having shelf and brace- .bars and adapted at its ends to be removably engaged with the said sockets and seats;

2. An adjustable gas-meter bracket having a mounting-strip, a sheet-metal bracketplate'applied thereto, and having its upper end transversely corrugated to produce sockets and its lower end transversely corrugated to produce bearing-seats; and a onepiece bracket-wire adapted to be applied to the upper and lower corrugations ofthe said plate with respect to which it is vertically adjustable.

3. An adjustable gas-Ineter bracket having a mounting-strip adapted to be secured in place, a sheet-metal bracket-plate applied to-the said strip in vertical position and 1 having its upper end transversely corru- 7 ated to produce laterally-opening sockets, V

and having its lower end transversely cor- 

